Welcome to
Inspire Your Genius
Internet Magazine
 OCTOBER 2008
Exclusively For You!
Your resource for the advice and tools you need for your
child's success.
Get ready to be inspired!
Read on for tips on helping struggling learners, making
history come alive, and teaching your wiggly children.
In This
Issue:
Next
Month:
- Developing Your Child's Natural Writing Talent
What To
Do When Your Child Isn't Getting It
Is your
child frustrated?
Disinterested?
Struggling?
You may be using a curriculum (or method) that is working against your
child's learning style.
Before you toss your
curriculum - tweak it.
I've used Sonlight Literature-Based Curriculum
successfully with my oldest and was hoping to do the same with my other
children. My middle daughter is a Kinesthetic/Tactile learner and
loves to move. She is not interested in sitting and listening to me read (imagine that!).
So I've tweaked my Sonlight Curriculum to
accommodate her active learning style. Most
of her learning time is spent in active learning activities. I
do read small sections
while she uses Play-Doh. My books are used as resources instead of the
main curriculum.
Tweaking
Tips
- List
Learning Objectives
- Read ahead and list what you want your child to learn
(events,
people, dates, places, concepts, etc.). Learning Objectives Example
PDF
- Brainstorm
- Based on your child's learning
style
learning
style, brainstorm teaching ideas. Kinesthetic/Tactile Idea Matrix PDF
- Use The
Curriculum as a Resource - Stick to your learning
objectives and resist the urge to get through every page.
Teaching
according to your child's learning style creates the optimum
environment for learning to take place. That doesn't mean
there
won't be bumps along the way.
When your
child is reacting negatively to learning it's time to stop and get to
the root of the problem. Start by knowing your child's learning style. Then make sure
your curriculum and
methods work with
your child's learning style.
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A Must Have For Teaching History
Are your history books
leaving you a little parched?
Tired of historical
videos that lull the kids to sleep?
 Studies
show that learning is more permanent when the whole body is involved.
This goes for all learning styles, not just Kinesthetic.
Being
active not only increases learning - learning becomes more enjoyable
and
motivation increases. Who doesn't want to see more of that in their
homeschool?
Get everyone learning and enjoying history with
Interact-Simulations.
Experience 93 historical events right in the
comfort of your living room!
Each simulation plops you right in the middle of 26 world
history topics or 67 American history topics. Then it is up to
you make history!
Works well
with all learning styles and can accommodate children of different ages
(tweaking may be necessary for larger age gaps).
These are
created for classroom use but would work equally well for a large
family, co-op class, or simply purchase with another family.
Find more American History resources
that are geared for your child's
learning style.
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What Your Child Needs To
Know Before He Learns To Read
There is a
lot of hype out there regarding the "science" of teaching a child to
read. Parents are convinced they don’t have the skills necessary to
teach their children to read.
We can see by the headlines in the news
that the "experts" with all their credentials don’t have the skills
either. So where does that leave you and I?
Right where we need to
be…at home living alongside our children!
"The single most
important
activity for building the knowledge
required for eventual success in reading
is reading aloud to children."
Becoming a Nation of
Readers
Children who are read to at least three times a week have a
significantly higher awareness of phonemes than children who were read
to less often. Children learn about letters and sounds as a natural
by-product of reading aloud. No bells and whistles required!
Reading success hinges on
two things: vocabulary and background knowledge. Reading
aloud introduces ideas, experiences, and vocabulary that would be
impossible to experience first hand.
As
the computer saying goes, "garbage in, garbage, out." The quality of
what you are reading aloud has a huge impact on the results. Here are a
few resources for finding great books…
Now that you've given your child a firm foundation by reading aloud,
find out which phonics program will work with
your child's unique learning style.
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Survey Says...
Here are the results from last month's reader poll and the top 3
answers...
Q: What Homeschooling Resource
Could You Not Live Without?
A:
- Google.com
- The Complete
Home Learning Source Book by Rebecca Rupp
- What Your --Grader
Needs To Know Series by The Core Knowledge
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Working With The Wiggle
Wiggly children are drugged and labeled learning disabled in
our neighborhood schools every year.
These incredibly bright children are seen as having a lower
intelligence and considered
disruptive to "learning."
Wiggly children possess a "hands-on intelligence" that makes our world
a
better place to live. The next time you need your car fixed, buy a new
computer, or drive over a bridge hug a wiggly child. They made it
possible!
They are the next Albert Einstein or Thomas Edison if allowed to
blossom into their full potential.
Understanding The Wiggle
The
more formal term, Kinesthetic/Tactile Learner, refers to the need to
move/touch in
order to learn. These children prefer to experience the topic rather
than read
or hear a lecture about it. Sitting
still is a huge hindrance to their learning.
Clues that you may have a Kinesthetic/Tactile learner on your hands
include:
- Tapping or doodling while listening.
- Tracking with finger while reading.
- Using fingers to do math.
- Sitting still for 5.2 seconds at a time!
Incorporating Movement
into Your Curriculum
Turn
as much of your curriculum into movement activities as
possible.
Kinesthetic/Tactile learners need to get their hands and bodies
involved.
- Instead of written reports have your child do
dramatizations.
- Build models (solar system, Egyptian city).
- Experience the topic first hand (field trips, plant a
garden, ant farm).
- Use manipulatives (math, spelling, writing).
- Play educational games (fun way to
learn grammar, history, spelling).
- Take frequent "movement" breaks during pencil and paper
assignments.
- Use the Kinesthetic/Tactile Ideas Matrix
to brainstorm movement activities for a topic.
- Use the Tweaking Tips from the What
To Do When Your Child
Isn't Getting It article.
Finding Curriculum
Here's a tip when purchasing curriculum: be wary of the
phrase
"works for kinesthetic learners." Many times the publisher is referring
to cut and paste activities which do not meet the movement needs of
Kinesthetic/Tactile learners. Cut and paste activities have a place in
your curriculum but should not take center stage.
Here are some curriculum resources to get you started...
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Homeschool Help
I’m here to assist you in discovering your child’s learning style and
develop a homeschool curriculum that will unlock your child's natural
genius!
Regardless of where you are in your homeschooling journey, I’m
here to provide you the tools you need for your child’s success.
If you have questions, concerns, or need assistance don't
hesitate to contact me. I would love to hear
from you!
To Your Success!
P.S. If you've learned something new pass it on!
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here.
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August
2008
September 2008
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|
by Jim
Trelease provides a list of book recommendations, in-depth research,
and practical suggestions.